Guitar attachment



p 12, 1933- c. T. SCHRICKEL 1,926,561

GUITAR ATTACHMENT Filed April 23. 1932 In M i a I -Ly Patented Sept. .12 1933 TUNITED STATES GUITAR ATTACHMENT Carl Temple Schrickel,

St. Louis, Mo., assignor of one-third to Norman L. Euwer, St. Louis,

Application April 23, 1932. Serial No. 607,071

Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in guitar attachments, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The extension bar herein described, is the subject of a copending application Serial No. 681,277,

filed July 20, 1933.

The main objects of my invention are to pro vide means first, for quickly producing such chords on a Hawaiian guitar as at present do not exist on an ordinary Hawaiian guitar, which in its present state has only major chords, and also to quickly change it back again; second, for altering chords quickly at will; third, for special use in combination with said altered chords so that the performer can play major, minor, augmented and diminished chords; and for other objects and advantages hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, Fig. 1. represents a plan view of a portion of the finger board of a Hawaiian guitar with my extension bar tipped back;

Fig. 2, a perspective view of my extension bar;

Fig. 3, a side view of a portion of the finger board with my extension bar covering two frets;

Fig. 4, a similar view with the bar tipped back and the extension raised as in Fig. 1, making the strings engage one fret under the body of the bar; I a

' Fig. 5, a'plan of the face ofthe guitar with hand in position to operate buttons of my swing levers having eye links engaging two extended strings;

' Fig .6, a vertical section of Fig. 5 on the line 66;

Fig. 7, a detail in section of my adjustable screw stems mounted in the face, and showing my stop blocks engaging swing levers and forming tuners for said two strings;

Fig. 8, a detail of abutton on the upper end of aswing lever, as mounted in the face shown in section; l

Fig. 9, a detail plan view of the same on line 99, Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10, a horizontal section of the tail of the guitar on line 10-10 of Fig. 6, showing the mounting of my swing levers in their bracket on a block.

A Hawaiian guitar has six strings tuned to major chords only, as used in Hawaiian music.

My present improvements enable the performer to alter the chords of a Hawaiian guitar instantly by manually changing the tension of H with my extension bar-,to alter said chords at.

will. Thus he can play chords which can not be obtained on the usual Hawaiian guitar, viz. those chords which are not on the Hawaiian guitar: all minor chords, all seventh chords, diminished and augmented chords,by the means now to be described.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 11 designates the face of a Hawaiian guitar of six strings passing from the bridge 12 over the finger board 13 on the neck, to the keys at the head 15. Two of the stringsthe 2nd and 3rd-are extended past the bridge to the tail 16, and changing the tension and tone of these two strings by my means, the chords are instantly altered as above stated.

Passing downward through the face, are two vertical operative connections or links 17 and 18 having eyes, or otherwise adapted to engage said two strings respectively at points between the bridge and the tail, and preferably pivoted at their lower ends respectively to swing levers l920, which are horizontally disposed in a transverselyinclined position under said strings, with their tail ends loosely pivoted on pins in spreading lugs of a bracket 21 mounted on a block 22 on the inside of the tail of the guitar.

These. levers pass under said links, and forward to turned-up ends 23-24 passing through slotted felt'washers 25 (Fig. 8) as guides mounted in said face, and are topped by buttons 7 and M, thus disposed conveniently for engagement by the third and fourth fingers of the right hand as shown in Fig. 5.

The tension of said two strings engaged by said links, pulls upward on said levers with their buttons, as shown in Fig. 6. The button '7 controls the 3rd string and affords seventh chords, while the button M controls the 2nd string and affords minor chords as described later. Preferably two strings are thus controlled.

Preferably at points in the face over said levers between the links and said turned-up ends, are mounted sleeves26, threaded inside and outside, and held by lock nuts. In these sleeves are adjustably mounted threaded stems 2728, slotted at one end, or otherwise adapted for turning up and down, and having secured on their lower ends, stop blocks 29--30 (Fig. 7) of rubber or other suitable material. These blocks are preferably formed with a smaller downward projection like a teat 31, affording a circular shoulder for engagement by the respective lever (Fig. '7) when its button is depressed and pushed sidewise by the finger. When thus engaged,'the block holds the lever down and increases the tension of the string engaged by its link, and thus raises the tone of said string one-half tone or more,--that is, the 2nd string is altered one-half, tone, and the 3rd string is altered in a whole tone, preferably. Then again, by a quick sideways push on the respective button, its lever is disengaged from said shoulder and rises from the pull of the string (see Fig. 6), and the string is lessened in tension which similarly lowers its tone.

Shifting a lever on or off its block is done instantaneously by a light touch of the performers finger, and the button is not required to be held in either position by his finger.

By means of said screw stems 27-28 the respective blocks can be raised or lowered to obtain the desired tension and tone of the string engaged by the corresponding link, and affords accurate tuning. This tuning means is an important feature of my invention.

For example, with the levers engaging said blocks (Fig. '7), the said strings are Ct and A in the natural tuning of a Hawaiian guitar: all major chords. 1 These chords are altered, as above stated, when the levers are disengaged as shown in Fig. 6.

For example, by pushing the button M with a slight sidewise motion, the performer disengages the lever 19 from its stop block 29 and lowers the tone of the 2nd string from Ct to C-natural, thereby enabling him to produce all minor chords.

By depressing the button and again engaging said lever and stop block, all major chords are again obtainable.

By disengaging the lever of the button 7 (Fig. 6), all seventh chords can be played. By engaging said lever again with its block, the natural tone is restored.

In combination with such means for altering chords, I provide an extension bar, instead of the ordinary straight bar. My bar body 32, held between the thumb and first and second fingers as indicated in Fig. 1, has a lateral projection 33 from the right hand side near its outer end (Fig. 2), and raised somewhat from the bodys bottom edge 34. This bottom edge makes its usual contact alone ofstrings and fret when my extension is raised by manually tilting the body 7 as indicated in Fig. 4. This extension is wide enough to cover two strings (Fig. 1), and is narrow enough to cover one string only without conis lengthened and the tone lowered accordingly. This tipping movement is practically instantaneous,much quicker than shifting the usual straight bar to the next fret or back again, and facilitates playing quick music. It also promotes accuracy, as the bar body need not be shifted.

In combination with my swing levers, this extension bar controls the tones of said extended strings, so that the performer can produce a large number of chords which are not available in the Hawaiian guitar; and can alter chords at will and instantly, and produce all minor chords, all seventh chords, diminished and augmented chords. This combined use of my swing levers and my extension bar enables the performer to alter and play many different chords on each fret;--ordinarily in a Hawaiian guitar, only one chord on each fret can be played.

For example, by placing my bar body on all the strings at the fifth fret and the end of my said extension on the sixth fret of the 1st string only, an augmented chord is obtained which is augmented D.

By placing said body over any fret and my extension down on the 1st (or the 4th) string, the same augmented chord in a different position is obtained.

By releasing the lever button 7 and placing the bar on the 5th fret with my extension tip contacting the 2nd and 3rd strings with the 6th fret, a dominant seventh A-chord is obtainable.

By releasing the lever button M, and placing the bar body on the 5th fret, with the extension tip contacting the 3rd string only with the 6th fret, a dominant seventh F-chord is obtainable.

With said lever still down, by placing said tip on the 1st string at the same 6th fret, a B-flat major chord is obtainable. (Ordinarily, with the usual straight bar only, the bar would have to be placed at the 1st fret to obtain this B-flat 115 major chord.)

As an example of rapidly altering the chords from minor to major, and vice versa,-with my M button released and my extension alternately its tact with adjacent strings. Its outer end 35 is raised and lowered on the 2nd string at any fret, preferably turned down somewhat and forms a minor and major chords can be obtained with rounded tip. Its length is approximately the great rapidity. distance between two adjacent frets. Tuning of the Hawaiian guitar is as follows:

Hence, by holding the bar body vertical as in 1st string E, 2nd string Ct, 3rd string A, 4th Fig. 3, the tip end 35 will contact with one string E, 5th string A, and 6th string E. The string-or two strings as desiredover the next first three strings constitute the A-major chord; fret and engage them to shorten the vibrating the other strings are duplicates of E and A. length of the stringor stringsand thus raise As further illustration, I submit the following the tone. list. in which the first two chords are the only By simply tipping the body, the tip end 35 is original chords on the Hawaiian guitar, but by raised (Fig. 4), the vibrating length of the string application of my above described means, the

Chords obtainable at the 5th fret No. Chord Position of bar 1 Bar down on 1st string only, all other strings open. 2 Bar down on all strings. 3 Bar down on all strings. M-lever released. 4 Bar down on all Strings. M-lever released extensl'n on 3rd string. 1 5 B-flat major (triad) Bar down on all strings. M-lever released extens'n on 1st string. 6 D-major Bar. down on all strings. M-lever released extensn on 2nd string. 7 D-augmented (triad) Bar down on all strings. M-lever down-extensn on 1st string. 8 E-flat diminished (triad Bar down on all strings. M-lever downextens'n on 3rd string.

9 A-7th. Bar down on all strings. 7lever released extensn on 2nd and 3rd strings. 10 D-7th added B-ilat Bar down on all strings. 7-lever released extensn on 1st string. 11 Ffi-minor (triad) Bar down on all strings. 7-lever released extensn on 3rd string. 12 Fit-diminished (triad) Bar down on all strings. 7-lever released extens'n on 2nd string. 13 Fit-major (triad) 1 Bar down on all strings. 7-lever released on 3rd and 4th strings. l4 C-7th (triad) Bar down on all strings. 7-lever released on 2nd and 3rd strings. l5 F-inajor Bar down on all strings. 7-lever and M released extensn raised. 16 F-augmented (triad) Bar down on all strings. 7-lever and M released axtensn on 3rd string. 17 B-ilat minor (triad) Bar down on all strings. 7-lever and M released extensn on 3rd and 4th strings. l8 Oil-augmented (triad) Bar down on all strings. 7-lever and M released extensn on 3rd string. 19 C-7th Bar down on all strings. 7-lever and M released extensn on 1st string.

other seventeen chords are obtainable, as indicated.

I claim:

1. The combination with a guitar having an extended string, of a lever disposed below said string and loosely pivoted at one end to allow lat eral swing, and turned up at the other end passing through the face of said guitar for operating by the finger, an operative connection extending upward through the face and engaging said string to make an upward pull on said lever, and a stop for engaging said lever when depressed, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a guitar having extended strings, of levers disposed below said strings and loosely pivoted at one end to allow lateral swing, and having turned-up ends passing through the face of the guitar at convenient locations for operating by thev fingers of the performer, link connections pivoted at their lower ends to said levers and engaging said strings by their upper ends to exert an upward pull on said levers, and means for holding down said levers temporarily when one or both are depressed, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a guitar having an extended string, of a lever disposed inside below said string and adapted to allow lateral swing, and having a turned-up end passing through the face of the guitar at a convenient point for operating by the finger, an operative connection extending upward from said lever through the face and engaging said string, and a stop block for engaging said lever when depressed and swung sideways, said block being adjustably mounted to vary the tension on said string for tuning it, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a guitar having extended strings, of levers disposed inside below said strings and having operative connections therewith to exert a downward pull thereon when the levers are depressed, and adjustable stop blocks engaging said levers when depressed, said blocks having threaded stems mounted in interiorly threaded sleeves in the face of the guitar and adapted to be turned for varying the tension on said strings when said levers are depressed, and thus tuning said strings, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a guitar having extended strings, of a bracket with spreading lugs and a pin therethrough mounted inside at the tail of the guitar, levers loosely pivoted respectively between said lugs on said pin affording lateral swing, and having turned-up ends passing through the face of the guitar and topped by buttons in convenient position to be operated by the third and fourth fingers of the performer, links pivoted at their lower ends to said levers respectively and having eyes at their upper ends engaging respective strings, and stop blocks having shoulders engaging said levers respectively when depressed, substantiallly as described.

CARL TElVflLE SCHRICKEL. 

